The fifth annual Community Engagement Fair returned to the College Mennonite Church Fellowship Hall on Wednesday. The fair included 47 organizations who serve both locally and nationally, many of which were represented by Goshen College graduates. 

The fair was organized by Career Networks and the Center for Community Engagement, with significant assistance from Patty Hartshorn, Rocio Diaz, Carrie Lee Bland-Kendall and Veronica Kindel with the college’s Events Office. 

The festivities also included a convocation featuring Guy Fisher, the chief program officer of the Community Foundation of Elkhart County. The discussion was facilitated by Egypt Boyd, a sophomore film production and writing major. 

Fisher discussed his own journey through life as well as his relationship with nonprofits and community-serving organizations. He began his journey at Bethel University in Mishawaka, where he got his bachelor’s degree and later returned to work in student enrollment. He was a first-generation college student, as well as an only child, so he credits the community he found in college for allowing him to get out of his comfort zone and grow. 

Though he doesn’t originally hail from the area, Fisher said he now considers himself a Hoosier. He also noted that he has found Elkhart County to be a unique place: a more engaged community than many others, and cited the college as part of the reason behind this. 

“When I think of community, I think of collaboration, I think of rallying behind a cause,” Fisher said, referencing the way he has seen locals come together to support various nonprofit projects. 

When asked to offer his reflections that might benefit current students, Fisher used the metaphor of a greenhouse to envision the college experience. Students, while they are learning, should be protected from outside challenges and offered a rich soil to begin to grow. But they can’t stay inside forever and eventually have to get out into the sun themselves. 

Fisher concluded by emphasizing that community engagement is an active choice, one that can be made no matter where you end up, since community is always right outside your door. 

David Kendall, the director of Career Networks and one of the primary organizers of the event, echoed this idea in his remarks to open the award portion. “Impact doesn’t happen by accident, it happens when someone decides to step up.”

Patty Hartshorn, the director of health and wellness and Title IX coordinator, then introduced the Vibrant Student Volunteer award, asking whether it is better to be like the bright flame that shines aggressively above a stove, but is subject to the influences of the open air; or it is better to be like a pilot light: consistent but usually hidden. 

When introducing the award winner, Evelyn Pérez, a senior public health major, Hartshorn said, “She is a pilot light: constant, giving, warm, full of spirit, vibrant.” On campus, Pérez has worked with Dash’s Cache for food as well as hygiene, and has assisted with Feel-Good Fridays. As the awardee, she also designated the Northern Indiana Hispanic Health coalition as an organization to be honored alongside her. 

After convocation was over, many students then made their way to the fair, which had organizations divided into distinctive zones: environment, agriculture and sustainability; youth development, mentoring and recreation; health, wellness and disability services; justice, advocacy and essential needs; arts, culture and community life; faith-based, service and global engagement; and education, career pathways and community. 

One of the organizations present was Greencroft Goshen, a senior living facility, represented in part by Rachel Rump, the onboarding and retention specialist. Rump noted that students were very willing to engage, but joked that they often needed to coax students out of an initial shyness. Rump said, “We’re here to talk to you guys …  we’re not trying to push anything, we’re just trying to get our information out there.”

She noted that Greencroft has a variety of short-term and long-term positions available, and does their best to work with students, especially those in the nursing program to get them experience where they are able. 

Lindsy Diener-Locke ’04 was at the fair representing Ryan’s Place, an organization that offers grief support for children and families. Diener-Locke said that they are always pleased with their GC interns, and hope to continue to be a resource for students in the future. She also mentioned the benefit for the organizations themselves: “This is a great opportunity for organizations to connect with each other as well as the students.”